By Tim Binnall
Artificial intelligence, evidence for the afterlife, and a strange creature mystery in Missouri were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about a possible goblin filmed in Mexico, an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving a popular TV ghost hunter, and an odd character dubbed the 'Box Demon' who appeared on a Pennsylvania doorstep. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
Could a mysterious creature be lurking around a shuttered island campground in Missouri? This intriguing scenario was put forward on Saturday night's program by cryptozoologist D.A. Roberts, who detailed his investigation of the location known as Coombs Ferry. Curious as to why the site had been inexplicably closed by the Army Corps of Engineers, he and his team ventured to the campground and discovered destroyed picnic tables and recently killed animals that were seemed to be strategically placed in a manner meant to be seen by visitors. Believing that they were being watched by something, Roberts and his cohorts cut the expedition short after one of the crew sustained an injury. That said, he hopes to return to the island in the future for another investigation.
True crime and the paranormal crossed paths in two unfortunate ways this past week. First, authorities arrested the wife of Ghost Adventures star Aaron Goodwin for what they allege was a murder-for-hire plot targeting him. The stunning scheme, which was said to have been hatched with a Florida inmate using a contraband cellphone that untimely led to the plan being discovered, shocked paranormal reality television fans. Later in the week, a Japanese fortune teller was implicated in a pair of mysterious deaths that occurred back in 2020. The astounding case saw the mystic ensnare two men who became devoted to her 'teachings' until they met their demise in what she called a 'spiritual cleanse.'
Artificial intelligence was a hot topic of conversation this past week on Coast to Coast AM with two guests offering their perspectives on the fantastic technology that has become commonplace in recent years. First, on Monday night's program, privacy expert Lauren Weinstein talked about the enormous amount of energy required for generative AI. While the technology appears wildly popular, he posited that people are unlikely to outright pay for it. Then, on Thursday night's program, author Joe Allen discussed artificial general intelligence. He warned that this specific technology could wipe out the working class by way of humanoid robots.
This past week saw the debut of a new kind of phantom character akin to creepy clowns and clandestine cat shavers: the 'Box Demon.' Appearing on the doorstep of a residence in Pennsylvania, the weirdo wore a mask fashioned out of a paper plate and left an empty box on the homeowner's porch. The late-night visit was made all the more creepy thanks to footage of the incident wherein the mysterious stranger looked into the doorbell camera and declared "I am the Box Demon." Fortunately, the odd individual's proverbial reign of terror turned out to be short-lived as police later indicated to the public that they had identified the person beneath the mask, though who they were and why they visited the home remain a mystery.
The afterlife took center stage on Wednesday night's program as researcher Stafford Betty talked about what he believes to be overwhelming evidence for some kind of existence beyond this realm. One compelling phenomenon he cited was terminal lucidity, wherein a person with Alzheimer's disease or in a vegetative state suddenly and mysteriously regains their clarity before passing. He argued that this suggests that the mind and body separate at death. Betty also discussed how belief in ghosts across the world and throughout time is a strong indication that spirits, in some form or fashion, do exist.
By far the most bizarre story of the week came by way of Mexico, where an individual captured footage of a nightmarish creature that some suspect was a goblin. The jaw-dropping video showed the eerie figure, which sported an eerily human-like face, poke its head out of some rocks and unleash a haunting shriek at the witness. Some viewers theorized that the being was a goblin-like entity from Mexican folklore known as a chaneque, while more skeptical viewers posited that the footage was probably fake. A similar localized legend made news this week in Argentina, where a pair of travelers filmed what they believe was an encounter with the 'luz mala,' or bad light, an infamous spirit that has long been a part of that country's folklore.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.